Interfaith memorial service pays tribute to Hudson homeless

They died alone, perhaps penniless, with little more than the clothes they were wearing.

The homeless of Hudson County who passed away this year were remembered Thursday at a somber and dignified memorial service, an annual event to bring awareness to homelessness.

Roughly 100 people gathered at Old Bergen Church in Jersey City for the fifth annual Hudson County Observance of National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.

"We wanted to let people know that they aren't forgotten," said
Tenille Powell, 37, parish administrator at Church of the Incarnation in Jersey City, one of the organizers of the event.

Leaders of the three Hudson County homeless shelters and members of the church lit a candle for each of the lives lost.

The event, also sponsored by the Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corp., included a clothing drive and a dinner. But mostly importantly for the homeless in attendance, clothing items were distributed.

"I used to walk by homeless people all the time and thought all they
wanted was money -- until I had a stroke a year ago," said Eric
Peterson, 63, who currently caslls the Hoboken Shelter his home.

Peterson's ailment left him in
the same predicament as those he regularly ignored -- jobless and then homeless.

"I lost my job because I couldn't work, I got a taste of what being homeless was like."

Carol Mori, executive director of the Palisades Emergency Residence Corp. (PERC) in Union City, said "We're committed to ending homelessness one day at a time."

The service was followed by an lunch reception in the lobby of the parish. Collected apparel, including hats, scarves, pants and gloves and were widely distributed to the homeless guests.

Mirna Zapata, 39, of Bayonne, said the Hoboken Shelter was there for her when she was down on her luck six years ago.

"I lived at Hoboken Shelter from May 2007 to March 2008," said Zapata, but "thankfully, I've been successfully housed for five years through the United Way."

Besides the Hoboken Shelter and PERC, St. Lucy's Shelter in Jersey City offers relief to the homeless.